if you incline your ear to wisdom
This phrase emphasizes the importance of actively listening and being receptive to wisdom. In the biblical context, wisdom is often personified and is seen as a divine attribute that comes from God (Proverbs 1:20-23). The act of inclining one's ear suggests a deliberate effort to pay attention and prioritize wisdom over other distractions. In ancient Israel, oral tradition was a primary means of learning, making the act of listening crucial. This aligns with the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, where the Israelites are commanded to hear and obey God's commandments. The New Testament echoes this in James 1:5, where believers are encouraged to ask God for wisdom, highlighting its divine source.

and direct your heart to understanding,
Directing one's heart implies a conscious decision to focus one's inner being on gaining understanding. In Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of one's emotions, will, and intellect. Understanding goes beyond mere knowledge; it involves discernment and insight into God's ways and purposes. This aligns with the biblical theme that true understanding is a gift from God, as seen in Solomon's request for an understanding heart in 1 Kings 3:9. The call to direct the heart suggests an intentional pursuit of God's truth, paralleling the New Testament teaching in Philippians 4:7, where the peace of God guards the hearts and minds of believers. This pursuit of understanding is also seen as a type of Christ, who is the embodiment of divine wisdom and understanding (Colossians 2:3).

1. Solomon
Traditionally attributed as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was known for his wisdom, which he received from God. His writings in Proverbs are intended to impart wisdom and understanding to the reader.

2. Israel
The original audience of the Proverbs, the people of Israel were encouraged to live according to God's wisdom and understanding.

3. Wisdom and Understanding
These are personified throughout Proverbs as valuable treasures to be sought after diligently. They represent divine insight and moral discernment.Attentiveness to Wisdom
Actively listen for God's wisdom in your daily life. This requires intentional focus and a willingness to hear God's voice through Scripture, prayer, and godly counsel.

Inclining the Heart
Cultivate a heart posture that is open and eager to understand God's ways. This involves a deliberate choice to prioritize spiritual growth and moral discernment.

The Role of Discipline
Developing attentiveness and inclination requires discipline. Regular Bible study, prayer, and meditation on God's Word are essential practices.

The Value of Wisdom
Recognize the immense value of wisdom and understanding as treasures that lead to a fulfilling and righteous life. Pursue them with the same diligence as one would pursue material wealth.

Practical Application
Apply the wisdom and understanding gained from God's Word to everyday decisions and interactions. Let it guide your actions and attitudes.Verse 2. - This verse is dependent on the preceding. So that thou incline. The literal translation is "to incline;" but the inclination of the ear and the application of the heart follow as a consequence upon the precepting ideas (cf. the Vulgate, ut audiat sapientiam auris tua). The root idea of the original (קָשַׁב kashav) is "to sharpen," viz. the ear as expressed, and so to give diligent attention to the precepts of Wisdom. In Proverbs 1:24 it is rendered "to regard." To apply thine heart is to turn the heart with the whole scope of its powers, in the spirit of humility and eagerness, to understanding. As the ear represents the outward vehicle of communication, so the heart (לִב, lev) represents the inward, the intellectual faculty, the mind, or it may mean the affections as suggested by the LXX. καρδία and Vulgate cor. Understanding (תְּבוּנָה, t'vunah) is here interchanged with "wisdom," which must determine its meaning to some extent. The LXX. interpreters take it as σύνεσις, the faculty of comprehension." Like בִינָה (vinah) in Proverbs 1:2, the word describes the faculty of distinguishing or separating: but it does not appear to be here used as representing this "as a faculty of the soul, but as a Divine power which communicates itself as the gift of God" (Delitzsch). A second and perhaps simpler sense may be given to the sentence. It may mean the turning or applying of the heart in an affectionate and loving way, i.e. with full purpose, to the discrimination of what is right and what wrong. The ideas of wisdom and understanding seem to some extent to be brought forward as personifications. They are things outside of ourselves, to which we have to give attention. Religion appeals not only to the affections, but also to the intellect, as this satisfies all the yearnings of our nature.

Parallel Commentaries ...


if you incline
לְהַקְשִׁ֣יב (lə·haq·šîḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7181: To prick up the ears, hearken

your ear
אָזְנֶ֑ךָ (’ā·zə·ne·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

to wisdom
לַֽחָכְמָ֣ה (la·ḥā·ḵə·māh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2451: Wisdom

and direct
תַּטֶּ֥ה (taṭ·ṭeh)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

your heart
לִ֝בְּךָ֗ (lib·bə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

to understanding,
לַתְּבוּנָֽה׃ (lat·tə·ḇū·nāh)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8394: Intelligence, an argument, caprice


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 2:2 So as to turn your ear (Prov. Pro Pr)